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Nestlé Waters North America is now operating five medium-duty beverage trucks powered by propane autogas in the Los Angeles market. The trucks will deliver Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water to area businesses and residents. “Nestlé Waters North America is committed to delivering customers drinking water with reliable, innovative and efficient green transportation solutions,” said Bill Ardis,…

Orders for the Class 8 trucks that literally keep the economy in motion were “phenomenal” in October, according to FTR Associates. FTR released preliminary data showing October 2014 North American Class 8 truck net orders at 45,795 units. That made October the second highest order month ever recorded, with orders rising 87 percent month-over-month and…

Daimler AG will launch production of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans in North America, Reuters reported. “We can cover the growing demand for large vans in the North American market economically only if we produce the vehicles locally in the NAFTA region,” said Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz vans. “That’s why we have decided to produce the…

More than one tow truck operator is killed every week by motorists, according to Allstate. Recently, Allstate Roadside Services teamed up with the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum (ITRHFM) to launch the “Provider Safety Advocacy” campaign to raise awareness of “Move Over” laws. As part of the national campaign, Allstate and…

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has renewed its call to ban the use of hands-free cell phones for all drivers operating commercial motor vehicles. NTSB issued its recommendation in late October as part of a final report on a May 2013 collision involving a freight train and a dump truck in Rosedale, MD. The…

Patrick Jones, executive director of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, says state and local governments now must take the lead in dealing with the transportation issues. “The transportation ballot initiatives in Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas and Wisconsin are strong evidence that states are not waiting for the federal government to act,” he explained. “Reflecting…

The recent handling of automotive recalls by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has prompted a review from the U.S. DOT. NHTSA was responsible for the recalling of millions of vehicles with defective airbags. These airbags were installed by Takata, a Japanese auto supplier and are evidently defenseless to moisture which causes them to…

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will invest $1 million to help U.S. veterans train for careers as truck drivers and help alleviate a shortage of skilled drivers. FMCSA will provide grants to nine technical and community colleges to bolster their driver training programs for veterans. The funding, which will help train 400 new…

A senior executive of XPO Logistics, one of the largest and fastest growing U.S. third-party logistics providers, says the company sees potential in driverless trucks and is closely following advancements in the technology. “We’re excited about driverless trucks,” said Scott Malat, chief strategy officer. “There are all kinds of implications for our industry.” Though years…

Ryder System Inc., a leader in commercial fleet management and supply chain solutions, announced today that C.A.T. Inc. has signed a full-service lease agreement for 100 compressed natural gas (CNG) sleeper tractors. This is Ryder’s first natural gas lease customer in Canada and its largest single natural gas vehicle customer to date. C.A.T., a truckload…